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Monday, July 6, 2015

Will Paul retire soon???

Things have been very quite around here, so I thought I would post something a little controversial to get people talking again.

Over the past month I have been wondering if Paul McCartney is getting ready to "retire." Now---I don't mean retire in the sense of just sitting around and not making music. We know that Paul will never do that. He just said so in Esquire magazine,

ESQ: You’ve never seriously contemplated retirement?

PM: Sit at home and watch telly? That’s what people
do, man. Gardening, golf… no thanks. Occasionally, I do think, “You
should have got fed up by now, you should be jaded.” My manager, who I
don’t have any more, glad to say, suggested quite a long time ago that I
retire at 50. He sort of said it’s not a good look. I went, “Oh, God,
he could be right.” But then I still enjoy writing, I still enjoy
singing. What am I gonna do? You see so many people who retire and then
immediately expire.

He might not fully retire in the traditional since, but is he thinking about slowing down? He currently does big world tours that are over 2 hours long with close to 40 songs. He rarely stops to get a drink or water during that time. How long can he keep this up? We all know from our own lives that traveling alone is exhausting, and with Paul's "health scare" last year in Japan, I can't help but question if he doesn't need to slow down some. Now I am not saying quit performing. But maybe do less appearances and shorter sets. And I think that maybe Paul is thinking along those lines. Now---let me point out that I am the person at Beatlefest in 1999 stood up and stated that I didn't think Paul would ever tour again, without Linda. That he would only do concerts spots here and there but never a full tour and I was completely wrong and I was proven wrong when Paul started touring again in 2002.

What makes me think that Paul might be slowing down?

John Hammel talks with a fan

1. The rumor that John Hammel is retiring at the end of 2015. John Hammel has been working for Paul McCartney as his personal assistant since 1975. He has been with Paul through a lot and has said that he would not retire unless Paul does. Now it isn't clear if this story of John Hammel retiring is true or not at this point, but if it is true: what does that mean? Maybe that Paul is planning on not doing big world tours anymore?

2. Paul has been calling up his most devoted fans up on stage.

There is nothing I like more than hearing about a fan that truly loves Paul McCartney getting pulled up on stage. Typically Paul calls young, pretty girls that want a tattoo up onto the stage. Very, very few men have been called up over the years and very few first generation fans. And yet over the past few weeks we have seen some of Paul's most devoted and biggest fans being called up on stage. These are people that have been in the audience at 100's of shows, so why did Paul decide to call them up now? And notice that two of them are guys? Is it Paul's way of thanking them for being such big fans? To show his appreciation for them being there all of these years? I am pleased as can be for these fans and I am so glad that they were called up---but it makes me wonder.

Do I really think this is the end of the Paul McCartney world tour era? I am not sure. I hope it isn't. Paul puts on the single best rock show out there. However----if you have a chance to see him in the near future---don't pass it up.

So---I know all of you out there disagree with me....tell me why I am wrong.

I have thought for the last few years that Paul quite often does not look well. He seems much thinner, pale, and drawn; the look of someone battling an illness.

Although he does come alive when he is on stage feeling the unconditional love of an entire arena full of people (and giving it back), he may only have a limited number of shows left in him. Additionally, his voice may not be able to keep up the pace even if Paul could physically and intellectually keep going.

We've all come to expect such extraordinary things from him, expectations that have rarely been denied. His music has brought so many of us incredible joy that we have felt to the core of our being. I know of very few things that can lift a depression, heal an emotional hurt, or make us feel better about the world quicker than a Beatles song can. He's a guy who has made a lovable impression in our lives from the time we were just kids, making the thought of him being possibly sick or possibly retiring difficult to believe.

He should be indestructible, ageless and always at his best, just like our affection for him is. However, we all know it's not possible and that someday Paul may have to make the decision to bring his once-in-a-lifetime career to an end.

No matter what happens, Paul knows beyond any doubt that we love him, and always will.

I know what's inevitable. I just hope Paul has a few more albums to give us before he decided to shut this unbelievable career down. I shudder at the thought that there will be a time when there are none of the Beatles with us. I'm not sure I want that world.

Paul has always loved being in the front of it performing and I doubt that he would retire that arena unless he physically had to at some point. I remember seeing Elvis before he passed and Sinatra in his later years and sad to say but they had completely lost it vocally. Sometimes it is better to retire.

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This blog is to highlight photos and stories of people who have met the Beatles in person. And while fan taken photos are my favorite, I also like to include vintage fan photos and other photos that show the Beatles meeting fans.

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